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Reviews For: Heil ICM

Category: Microphones for ham radio

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Review Summary For : Heil ICM
Reviews: 85MSRP: 89.99
Description:
New high performance electret mike for ICOM older transceivers
Product is in production
More Info: http://info@heilsound.com
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
34.7854.6
W5CPT Rating: 2009-08-25
Best you can buy Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought mine for my IC-756 (non Pro) and it works just fine. I moved from the desk top to the shelf above the desk and even from 12" away from my mouth I get good audio reports.
K3DAV Rating: 2009-02-25
A disappointment for a Heil. Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I have had a Heil GM studio mike with an older radio and have gotten many good compliments on it. Since Heil is considered a high quality standard product, I decided to get the Heil iCM for my new Icom 706MK2G. Wow was I disappointed. I had to turn the mic gain on the radio, all the way up, and still keep within 1 inch of the mic to have almost normal audio. It had no umph to drive the power on SSB.

I thought maybe I got a defective mic. I returned it to heil and he sent me a brand new one. Same exact results. All of the Heil mics are great top quality products, except the iCM.

If you want a good quality mic for your Icom radio, here is what you do. Go to Radio Shack and order a (270-0090). It is a tiny electret condenser mic element just perfect for Icom radios. This element operates best with 4.5VDC. But this element works with 2 to 10VDC and works great with the 5VDC Icom puts on the mic audio wire. It has 20Hz to 15KHz frequency response, (Much better than Heil's iCM), and it is more sensetive than Heil's iCM. It is so small, you can mount it next to another mic element in any microphone.

When I first tried out the RS element on the air, I was told to back off the mic or turn it down. Once I got it set right, everyone told me it sounded very clean, clear and natural. And it has enough gain for SSB. Only $6.95 at your local Radio Shack.

Send me an email, and I will be happy to return a spec sheet on the mic element.
k3dav@msn.com
KI4CRA Rating: 2009-02-24
sO FAR SO GOOD. Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Only a first impression, I've only had this mic for 2 weeks to go with my 756Pro. I've had some really great comments on my audio using this mic using only the basic settings called for by Bob Heil on his website. So we;ll give another review in a couple of months to see where are then.



73 de Mark
AI4HO
W7DDD Rating: 2009-02-16
Excellent Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I use this mike on my 756 Pro3. I picked it after listening for hours at the various mic samples you can download from the Heil site. I didn't care what it cost. To my ear, it had the best sound. So, I bought it and have been very pleased. It sounds good when I monitor it, I get great audio reports, and most important of all, to people who know me in person, they say it is perfect - it sounds like me! That's what counts, in the end.

While considering options, I sent a question to Heil, and Bob answered right away himself. We had several back and forths. I know my questions were dumb, but he never let it show. Not like the donkeys on this site that give out zeros, but don't have a name or call sign!
W4FCC Rating: 2008-05-08
OK, but not great Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I bought the ICM to use with my IC-718. It's a decent mic, sounds better than the hand mic according to audio reports on teh air and my own monitoring with my backup TS-520SE. However, the mic I normally use is a D-104 that I revived by replacing the element with a Radio Shack electret condenser element using a single transistor preamp. It has a much more clear sound to me and others than the ICM, which sounds flat and dull in comparison. Oddly enough, the ICM sounds the best with this rig on AM (RF at 50, Mic gain about 12, compressor ON), and that's why I keep it. It's also good to have a boom mic with a foot switch for things like Century Club nets when you're handling logs, filling out QSLs, etc, while you're operating, but even then I usually opt for my D-104 with the $3 element in it.

Broadcast quality? Nah.. But not bad.
VR2AX Rating: 2008-04-13
OK for Legacy Icom Radios Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Bought mine on a visit to southern CA in 2004. Has performed solidly with a IC-751A, IC-781 and IC-718 over various times. Basically, a well packaged but medium quality output electret mic, good for all Icom from around the IC-745 onwards up to the modern Icoms. Does not work on the IC-740 or earlier range, read the details on the Heil website. Flimsy PTT however.
VK2FTNY Rating: 2008-04-13
Excellent match to the proiii Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I find this mic a great match to the Icom Ic-756 proiii.I know this mic is marketed at older type icoms but it performs equally as well on the newer type icom as well.I have mine boom mounted and operated by the heil footswitch so as far as operating comfort goes it doesnt get much better.Audio wise, i always get complimented on my audio.It is that good some operators find it hard to tell it apart from my Ft-2000 running a behringer audio chain and either a MD-200 or studio mic attached.The mic also seems to drive the radio extremely well,So if you want a mic that doesnt require an audio chain to clean and jack up the volume than the heil iCM is worth considering.Also pretty cool to be able to boom mount the mic like the studio pro's and go handsfree.I also recomend the footswitch or handswitch cause the little ptt softtouch button on the top of the mic will wear with use.
K8GMG Rating: 2008-04-05
Great Performer Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
This is without a doubt the best microphone I have ever used on an Icom rig. I was looking for a microphone for my Ic-2200, 2 meter mobile radio that I am using as a base radio. The Heil Sound web site has a mic selector to assist me with matching a mic to my radio. I used this and selected this microphone. My audio reports have been outstanding... the mic give a loud, full sound that completely out performs the stock mic. Long story short, I am extremely pleased with the quality and the performance of the mic. Many thanks to the folks at Heil Sound!!!
KPAX2 Rating: 2008-02-15
BUYER BEWARE!! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Unscrew the Metal End Cover and look at the $2.50 Electric Catridge stuck on the end of a piece of rubber! Replacement Cartridges like these are used on Cordless phones, Tape recorders, other junk. I use them all the time.

It's the same thing as the original ICOM Hand mic that comes with the ICOM radios, only mounted on a fancy Mic Case that you're paying a $100.00 bill for!!! RIP-OFF!!

You're throwing your money away...

We returned ours and use the Hand-Mic and nobody can tell the difference!
K6YE Rating: 2008-01-30
GREAT Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I received mine with an Icom IC-775DSP from my father's gear (K5LDH, SK 2006). I like the fact that it is off of the desk where I can use the room for other things like keyers, mice, etc. I get great reports and will try to interface it with an EQ to use with my Yaesu FT-1000D. The other microphone that came with the radio is an SM-20. I get great reports with it also but I do not want it on the desk so it will be for sale soon.

I e-mailed Heil about using the ICM with an EQ and receive a lot of technical and practical data as well as settings. Bob sent this information at 12:30 A.M. and that is tops in my book.

Semper Fi,

Tommy - K6YE
DX IS